Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-12-17
TEXAS FENCE-CUTTING.
Brown County People Mad Because tn
Cases Are to be Tried in Bell County.

BELToN, No., Dec 16-On the criminal
docket of the district, which will be taken
up next Monday, are eight cases against
two citizens of Brown county, which were
transferred to this court by the district
judge of Brown county of his own motion.
The parties are charged with fence-cutting,
and their alleged offenses were committed
during 1884, when the knights of the
nippers were holding high carnival in al
of western Texas and Governor Ireland
who was then at the helm of state, seemed
powerless to check the lawlessness. Brown
county was the scene of many visits from
fence-cutters, and though large number
of indictments were presented by various
grand juries assembled in the country
none of the indicted parties were ever con-
yicted
When the cases came on for trial the
district attorney announced to the court
that after careful investig alton he had
discovered that the state could not pro,
duce evidence sufficient against the pris-
oners to secure their conviction, and there
upon a number of indictments were
dismissed and thrown out of court.
At the last spring term of court al
BrownwOod, Judge J. c. Randolph, act
ing upon information furnished him by q
number of law-abiding citizens of the
county, ordered the above eight cases
transferred to the district court of Bell
county on change of venue. This action
of the judge provoked storm of indig
nation upon the part of a number OF
Brown county's citizens, who resented it
as an insult and unjust reflection upon
their character
This indignation resulted in mass
meeting called at Brentwood several
weeks ago, at which several communities
throughout the county were represented
by delegates. At this meeting resolutions
were adopted severity censuring Judge
Randolph for removing the fence cutting
cases to Bell county. and declaring that
the alleged reasons given viz, that a trial
alike fair to the state and defendants
could not be had in Brown county by rea-
son of combination in favor of the accus-
ed, was false and unfounded. The presence
of rangers in the county was also denounc-
ed as useless and a reflection upon the citi-
zens, and a committee was appointed to
lay before Gov. Ross these resolutions with
a request that he order the immediate
withdrawal of the state troops. 1t was
also charged by those participating in the
meeting that many, if not large major
ity, of the indictments presented for
fence cutting had been found without any
evidence at all being heard by the grand
jury, but upon the charge of those insti-
eating them that the evidence would be
forthcoming when the accused were ar
raigned for trial. As a concluding act it
was resolved that unless Judge Randolph
furnished the people of Brown county with
the names Of those upon whose infOrma-
ton he claimed to have removed
the cases to Bell county, he would
of Brown county.
At last accounts the meeting had not
heard from the Judge. and the cases are
still on the criminal docket of this court.
There is a great deal of interest manifested,
not only in Brown county, but in all this
vicinity, and in addition to the hundred
and more witnesses summoned to testify
in the cases, a large number of others will
be here next Monday when the docket is
called The defendants have many friends
and will produce volume of evidence to
testify to their innocence: while on the
other hand the state has called host of
witnesses to establish their guilt. Both
defendants are out under heavy bonds, and
are here preparing for the trial.
Besides the eight cases of fence cutting
Judge Randolph at the same term of
court, also transferred six cases against
Bob Purrock for the same reasons as gov
erned him in transferring the others. In
three of these cases Purrock is charged
with assault with intent to murder, and
in the other three with theft or horses and
cattle. He lay in Jail here until about ten
days ago. when, with the assistance OF
friends in Brown county; he succeeded in
making bond in the sum of $500 and was
released sn his cases also large num-
Der of witnesses has been subpPnaed both
for the state and the defense, so that our
officers are looking for large portion of
Brown county's population to materialize
at the court house when the cases are
called